UTV Ireland teatime news moves back to 5.30pm as hourly news updates are announced for weekdays

Ireland Live's Chris Donoghue and Alison ComynUTV Ireland has announced Alison Comyn as one of the new faces of UTV Ireland's news and current affairs programme, Ireland Live at 10. Picture: Jason ClarkeChris Donoghue is part of UTV's Ireland Live

UTV Ireland is shifting its daily Ireland Live News teatime news programme from 6.30pm to 5.30pm.

This puts Ireland Live in direct competition with TV3's early evening news programme rather than RTE One's 6 o'clock news.

The channel has also announced that it is ramping up its news coverage with new hourly updates throughout the day on weekdays from 6am to 5pm and from 7pm to 9pm.

The hour-long Ireland Live news programme at 10 will continue to broadcast in its current slot.

Mary Curtis, Head of Channel, said: “As Ireland’s newest national television broadcaster, it is important that we inform viewers on what UTV Ireland has to offer, as well as giving our news programmes every opportunity to reach a wide-ranging audience.

"We carried out significant research with our audience which indicated the desire for an earlier teatime news and we are, therefore, moving Ireland Live to meet those demands."

The Ireland Live News team currently broadcasts morning news updates during Good Morning Britain with updates at 6am, 7am and 8am.

These updates will now continue throughout the day, concluding with the channel’s main evening news, Ireland Live at 10 – anchored by Alison Comyn, Chris Donoghue and Claire Brock.

TV3 broadcasts news at 12.30pm, 5.30pm and 8pm while RTE One broadcasts news at 1pm, 6pm and 9pm.